The end of the beginning
by ninja of fallen Sakura
Summary: The sequel of for better or for worse. Rival and Kraven struggle to raise their six children together. Peter and the gang deal with parenting and aging while constantly fighting crime.
1. Chapter 1

*6 years later*

The children were 8 yrs. old now, and were busy attending school. The house was empty because Kraven was off to the store with his brothers and mother, leaving Rival and her servants alone in the house.

*Rival's p.o.v *

The mansion was completely quiet. Too quiet. It was so quiet that you could hear a pen drop. I sat on my throne in the big room that served as the king and queen's room. Only servants were allowed in, and if I did not summon or ask for any guests, they would be roughly thrown out.

Today was the day of the royal ceremony, and emissaries from a neighboring planet nearby wanted to come visit me and discuss business matters. Oh, how I hate business matters. The children would be home in an hour, and my husband had just gone out a minute ago with my mother- and brother-in-laws. The sound of the door opening brought my attention upwards. "Excuse me, your highness, but the Queen of Planet Arena is here. Do you want me to bring them here?" The servant asked.

"Yes. Please bring them here, and make sure the house is presentable," I replied back wearily.

"Yes, your highness. Right away." The servant replied back, closing the door behind him. I sighed. (I really didn't want to be bothered today,) I thought to myself.

Meanwhile

*At Precious Hearts Elementary School*

Kenny waited for his sisters to come from the library since he had finished class a while back. Kenny didn't care much for school. It was boring, and he didn't have many friends. No friends at all, actually.

He played with his sisters, but he didn't think they counted as friends because they were family. The door to the library flew open, and a crowd of happy and boisterous children ran out. Kenny noticed his sisters were talking to their friends and decided to go sit on the bench nearby. A few minutes later, the lunch bell rang.

The children flooded into the cafeteria. The lunch lady bit her lip, seeing the children push, shove, and cut in line for food.(Ugh. Stupid kids. I hate 'em at this age. Retirement, here I come,) The old woman thought to herself. The line slowly moved forward, and Kenny received his food. He was hungry, but not hungry for mystery meat. It was supposed to be a Sloppy Joe, but the meat was sticky looking and grayish. He was definitely not going to eat this.

After leaving the lunch line, Kenny looked for a table to sit at. The kids nearby saw him coming, and they quickly placed their things down so he couldn't sit there. All the tables were starting to feel up and Kenny couldn't find his sisters. He decided to just sit outside by himself. Throwing his lunch out, he sat down and drew in the dirt with a stick. A group of bullies approached him.

"Hey, loser. Why are you playing in the dirt?" The biggest bully asked, laughing as he pushed the younger boy off the bench.

This was the third time they picked on Kenny, and it was just because he was smaller than them.

Punching and kicking, the older kids continued to beat poor Kenny up.

Meanwhile

Sensing their brother was in danger, Momo and Kylie walked outside to confront the bullies, and they weren't going to be peaceful about it, either. "Hey! Leave him alone!" The twins yelled.

The older kids turned around to mock them. "Why? What are you going to do about it?" The head bully asked. His goon friends laughed.

Seeing Kenny cry on the ground, Momo narrowed her eyes. ''If you keep messing with him, I'll break your leg," she threatened.

The bully just snorted. "Yeah, right. As if a puny purple girl can hurt me! I…" Before he could finish, he felt a sharp pain in his leg.

Taking her invisible arm, Momo twisted the human's leg, popping it out of its socket. "Witch! She's a witch!" The other boys yelled, running for their lives.

Kylie was not having it. She used her limbs to tie their shoe laces, causing them to fall smack on their face, chipping the boys' teeth. The older kids started to cry, but the alien twins could care less. Helping their brother up, Kylie noticed they had smashed Kenny's glasses. She wanted to kill those humans, but she knew she'd be in big trouble if she did. Helping Kenny up, the girls were than confronted by the principal. "You are in serious trouble," the principal said as he gently grabbed the girls' hands to take them to the principal's office. He took Kenny to the nurse's office, first.

*Meanwhile, back at the house, Rival's p.o.v.*

I was almost ready to talk to the Arenan Queen when the phone began ringing. Reluctantly, I answered it. "Yes? Who is it?" She asked.

"Mrs. Kravenoff?" The person on the other side of the phone asked.

"This is," Rival replied.

"Your daughters Momo and Kylie were involved in an altercation with several other students, causing them physical harm," the person replied.

"I'll be over in just a bit," Rival said, exasperated. She called a servant in. "Tell the Arenan Queen I will be late," she said as she got ready to leave.

"Yes, milady," the servant replied.

Rival walked outside to the garage. She got in the car, and drove off to the school. "Of all the things that had to happen today…" She muttered.

To be continued…

Edited by Darkest Nightmare's Dread 


	2. Chapter 2

*Rival's p.o.v.*

I sighed. Some idiot on the freeway decided to jump in front of me, and then they had the audacity to drive slowly. Feeling a headache coming on, I simply got around them and continued driving to my destination. Once I reached the school, I headed straight for the principal office and calmly opened the door. I saw the parents of the bullies angrily staring at me, but I ignored them. It's a specialty of mine. I walked up to the principal's office door and knocked. "Ms. Kravenoff, come in. I've been expecting you," the principal said.

"Mr. Montego," I replied from outside the door. Opening the door. I saw my three adoptive children sitting in a corner at the side of the room.

"Welcome, Ms. Kravenoff. I'm sorry I called you up here. I know as a mother that you're very busy," Mr. Montego replied.

"Yes, I am. Not to be rude, but it's 'Mrs. Kravenoff'. Also, you called me up here because the twins hurt another child and his friends. I'll have you know that my daughters are very sweet, and they only hurt people if they harm or attempt to harm them," I replied back.

Mr. Montego sipped his coffee and folded his hands, looking at me with a smile that made me want to punch it right off his face. "Ms. Kravenoff, you do understand that even though they were protecting their brother, as a boy, he should have handled it himself instead of letting his sisters fight his battles for him. Those poor boys now have to take a trip to the dentist," the principal said back.

I looked at him, absolutely appalled at what he said. "Mr. Montego, with all due respect, my children shouldn't be in trouble for doing what was right. Those boys aren't dead. Now, the twins could have chosen to slice them in half, but they didn't. Therefore, your argument is invalid," I replied back.

The principal raised an eyebrow. "Look, Ms. Kravenoff. What I'm really trying to say is I'm going to have to ask you to take your children all of them out of this school and enroll them somewhere else. The twins there. They are… How should I say this…? A dangerous breed. What are they called, again? Poodle something?" He said rudely.

"They are Pseudorian and Jangwee hybrids, and they are not dangerous!" I hissed venomously, finally losing my temper. How dare he insult my children!

"Look, I understand that you're angry, but face it. Next time, they'll kill someone for Kenny and things. What are you going to do?" The principal asked ignorantly.

I had had enough. "You know what, Montego? We are done here! Starting today, I'm taking all my children out of this school. You will never see us again. Since you believe aliens are so dangerous, then I'll be sure to let all the mutant and alien parents know that this school is racist to different species," I spat out. At that, I grabbed my children's hands and unenrolled them from the school, including Fawn and Link, and went out. My cell phone rang and I answered it. I knew who it was, thanks to caller I.D. "Hello? What's wrong, Sebastian?" I asked.

"My queen, it's the queen of Arena. She wants to let you know that she wants to reschedule the meeting," Sebastian replied back.

"Why?" I asked, even though I was secretly happy.

"Forgive me, mistress, but it turns out hard salami and cheese on crackers is a bit poisonous to spider-type aliens. Let's just say things got a bit explosive for her majesty…" Sebastian said back.

I nearly gagged. "Okay, Sebastian. Too much information!" I said back.

"I apologize, my queen," he replied.

"Well, thank you for telling me. Is everything set for the royal ceremony tonight?" I asked.

"Yes, milady. Everything is perfect. " Sebastian chimed happily.

"Good. Thank you. I'll see you soon, Sebastian," I said before hanging up. The car was silent.

"Mommy, did we do something bad?" Momo asked.

"No, sweetheart. You didn't. That man and that entire school are just a bunch of idiots," I said to my daughter.

"It's my fault everyone got kicked out of school. Sorry," Kenny said sadly.

"Sweetheart, you don't have to apologize for anything. You did nothing wrong, and your sisters didn't, either. As a family, we protect one another, and that's what the twins were doing," I replied back.

"Humans are stupid," Kylie said.

"And they smell," Fawn chirped,

"And don't forget that they're mean, too," Link added.

"Now, now, girls. Not all humans are bad. Your father is a human. Daddy is not a bad man, now is he? Besides, not all humans are bad. Remember that, okay? Promise mommy no matter how bad people may treat you that you never stoop to their level," I said back to them.

"Okay. We promise, mommy," They all chimed in.

I smiled. "That's my good girls and boy," I replied back.

*1 hour later*

*The royal ceremony, 3rd person p.o.v.*

Rival was more than a bit nervous. Being officially coroneted as Queen was not something to be taken lightly, and her husband would be coroneted alongside her in a joint coronation ceremony. She put on a royal purple robe with a golden trim. Kraven had said that the color combination went great with her eyes, but she knew that he thought everything went with her eyes. She couldn't help but blush a bit as she thought of Kraven. She couldn't wait for some alone time with him after everyone left and the children were asleep. Some good alone time would melt her stress like butter.

*Meanwhile*

Kraven himself was very nervous. He had never seen himself as royalty in any sense of the word, but here he was, about to be crowned king alongside the woman who would always be his queen. He put on his own purple robe with golden trim. He said that the color went great with Rival's eyes, and he meant it, too. The Russian man knew she was very nervous about the whole coronation ceremony, and he understood. Perhaps he could help her relax once the ceremony was done.

Meanwhile

Link was giving the servants a hard time. "No, I don't want to put on a blue dress. I want pink because I'm a princess!" Link chirped happily running around her nanny, laughing gleefully.

The middle-aged Chitauri maid sighed. "Princess, please hold still," she begged as she tried to get the princess to hold still long enough for the tailor to get the measurements he needed to get.

Rival poked her head in the room. "Is she giving you trouble?" She asked. Receiving a nod from the Chitauri maid and tailor, as she went back out, she said to Link, "Do what they say, young lady, or no chocolate for you."

"Yes, mommy," Link said, holding still. With a grateful sigh, the tailor completed the measurements. It turned out that the initial measurements were correct. The Chitauri maid gave Link the blue dress and raised the privacy curtain. It only took Link a minute to put the simple blue dress on. As she went to the ceremony room, she quickly realized that her twin sisters had on green dresses, and Kenny had a simple tuxedo.

Rival and Kraven knelt down to receive their crowns, and the officiator of the ceremony offered the following blessing: "Haec duo sunt, benedicentur cum diu quietam regula et felix matrimonium," which means, "May these two, the king and queen, be blessed with peace and prosperity."

The crowd said, "So it shall be."

Rival was given a ceremonial scepter, and Kraven was given a ceremonial sword. As was planned, Volcanus stepped forward and knelt before the now royal couple. Kraven stepped forward, placing the flat of the ceremonial sword on Volcanus' shoulders, saying, "I hereby knight you Sir Volcanus. You may rise."

Volcanus rose. "Thank you, my king and queen," he solemnly before backing away. The royal ceremony was officially over after that, but the guests stayed behind to enjoy the food, drinks, hospitality, and conversation. It wasn't until midnight that all the guests left or had retired to guest quarters. The children had already gone to bed a few hours ago, and Rival was too tired to be in the mood. Kraven knew she was tired, and helped her into bed, falling asleep with his arms around her.

To be continued…

Edited by Darkest Nightmare's Dread 


	3. Chapter 3

*The next day*

*Rival's p.o.v *

I awoke to the cheerful sounds of birds chirping and the soft snoring of my husband beside me. I was feeling a lot better than yesterday. The pangs of my sexual desire came back again, but this time, it felt ten times stronger. I groaned, and my husband woke up and sat up to stretch. "Good morning, beautiful. It's Saturday, and that means we don't have to search for a school for the kids, and there's no appointments that need attention. How about we have a romantic day to ourselves? Just you and me," he asked.

I was so relieved to hear that. ''Yes I'd love that!" I said excitedly.

He smiled and kissed me lovingly. "I'll have my brothers watch the kids while we go out," he replied back.

I smiled. "Sounds great. I can't wait to go out with you. This entire week has been very stressful," I replied back.

He raised an eyebrow. "Stressful, eh? How about we kill some time and have a little fun while the kids are still asleep?" He asked suggestively.

I felt him run his hand up my nightgown sending shivers down my spine. "Yes, please. You can do whatever you want," I said back. Smiling, he slipped the lavender silk nightgown over my head and admired my breasts. I couldn't help but blush. It was hardly the first time he'd seen them, but I couldn't help but feel bashful whenever he looked at me. Taking me by surprise, he bent me over our bed and slowly pushed himself into me. I gasped, feeling him inside me. Once he was sure I was comfortable, he thrusted gently inside me, earning my loud moans of pleasure. That seemed to throw him over the edge. He increased his pace and we made love for several minutes. I was so glad that we had our room soundproofed. He climaxed, spilling his seed inside me and after that, we laid there, sore and satisfied. Stretching, I got up to shower and beckoned him to come and join me, which he gladly did. Reality suddenly struck me like lightning, and I know what that actually feels like. "Oh, no!" I muttered.

Sergei looked at me with a face full of concern. ''What's wrong? " he asked.

"I'm out of birth control, and we just had unprotected sex," I replied back.

He shrugged. "I see no problem with that." Sergei replied squeezing some men's shower gel in his wash cloth.

I placed my hands on my hips and pouted, although I knew that in my current state, I wasn't very intimidating at all. "Sergei, if I get pregnant again, we will have another baby to care for. I'm probably very fertile right now, so we can't be reckless we both agreed we'd use condoms last time. " I said to him.

"But Gemma, those aren't fun at all. Besides, it's hard to feel the most pleasurable moments of passion when there's latex preventing you from enjoying the full experience," he replied back.

I blushed. "Well, I guess you're right, but if I get pregnant, it's your fault," I said jokingly. After we showered, we got dressed and went to call Sergei's brothers to come watch the kids. I then remembered Carl promised to take Link to the beach with Soldaris and their baby girl Angel.

I had heard Soldaris was 8 weeks pregnant. After years of trying, they finally had another baby. Carl wanted to celebrate the occasion, and take advantage of some well-earned free time, by taking Link to the beach.

Going downstairs, the servants had already prepared breakfast. Josiah, who was now 8 yrs. old, giggled, stealing bacon from Kylie's plate, upsetting his sister and starting a fight. "MOMMY! JOSIAH STOLE MY BACON!" She yelled, upset and irritable. Josiah giggled again and ate it, digging into his bacon and eggs and playing with his food.

Thanking the maid. I gently scolded my son. "Josiah, what did mommy say about stealing and playing with your food? You know better, young man," I scolded.

Josiah slid down in his chair, seeing the eyes of his siblings and his parents on him. "Sorry, mommy. I won't do it again," he promised.

I kissed the top of his head. "It's okay. Now, apologize to your sister as well," I replied back.

Josiah looked over at his older sibling, trying to look as cute as possible. "Sorry, big sis," he said.

''It's okay. " Kylie replied back. I smiled. I placed some new bacon on kylie's plate to replace the one that was stolen, and I went to eat breakfast myself.

The family and I sat and talked while we ate breakfast. The doorbell rang, and our maid Daisy went up to open it. It was Carl and his wife and kid. She let them in. Link stopped eating her oatmeal and happily ran to greet her favorite uncle. "Uncle Carl and Aunt Soldaris is here!" She said excitedly.

Carl laughed. "Hello there, Link," he said as she hugged him.

"Hi," Soldaris said as she received a hug of her own. Angel shyly hid her face in her mother's arms, making me chuckle slightly. "How's Link been doing?" Soldaris asked.

"She's a bit mischievous at times," I replied, "but I was quite the mischievous one when I was her age," I added, making Soldaris chuckle.

"I have a hard time believing that," Soldaris replied. "You could teach my husband a thing or two on maturity."

I nodded, and gave Soldaris Link's swimsuit. "Tell her Mom says to behave."

"I will," Soldaris replied. She walked out of the house with Carl giving Link a piggyback ride, making me chuckle softly.

Looking at his watch. Sergei called his brothers over and told them to watch the kids. Since their mother Rose was asleep upstairs, the twins promised to be there in 10 minutes. We waited for them to arrive before leaving. I trust my brother-in-laws to keep their word, but I just don't like leaving the kids unsupervised. We left out in our limo to the fancy restaurant of our choice and to enjoy our day together.

To be continued…

Edited by Darkest Nightmare's Dread 


	4. Chapter 4

*30 minutes later, Rival's P.O.V.*

We arrived at Olive Garden, and were kindly greeted at the door. Sitting down at our table, I felt relieved to be alone. Finally, just the two of us, and absolutely no children or school officials or royal responsibilities. Just my husband and I. The waiter came and asked us what we'd like to drink. I ordered a Sprite, while my husband ordered a Cola. He decided not to drink alcohol today, thank goodness. The waiter gave us our menus and left us alone to choose what we wanted to eat. "You look very beautiful today. Purple is a really good color on you," Sergei said.

I blushed, feeling like I was on my first date again. "Thank you. I was afraid I was starting to look like a big fat eggplant in this dress," I replied back.

Sergei shook his head no, appalled by what I had just said. "You look nothing like an eggplant, especially not a fat one," he replied back.

I smiled. "Thank you, sweetheart. That means a lot," I replied back.

Sergei smiled and took my hand gently, kissing it. He dug in his pocket. "Close your eyes. I have something for you," he said. Closing my eyes, I felt him place a cold chain around my neck. "Now you can open them," he replied happily.

Opening my eyes, I gasped. I almost squealed from excitement. Around my neck was a very expensive diamond necklace. I saw it on TV, but I never thought I'd have it in real life. "Sergei, it's beautiful. Thank you," I said, admiring the necklace.

"Gemma, I know our anniversary isn't until next week, but I thought I'd give the necklace to you now. Just think of it as the icing on the cake. Of course, I have something way better planned for our anniversary I'm sure you are going to love," Sergei said.

I smiled. "Oh, Sergei. You're so sweet to me," I replied back. "I think I might be getting a cavity," I joked, making both of us laugh. The waiter came back and asked us what we'd like to eat. Going through the menu, I ordered a creamy vegetable soup, while my husband ordered an Italian seafood plate: Mussels with the best seasonings and bread around. We talked a bit until our food and drinks arrived. After we ate, we paid the bill. We left a tip. Sergei wanted me to go to the mall with him before we went to the movies. I was fine with it, and wondered what he wanted there at the first place, but whatever it was, he wanted me to see it.

A few minutes later, we entered the mall. Sergei had found this new women's clothing store that had opened up a few weeks ago, and it was already getting popular. The store owner greeted us as we walked in. I had to admit it was a lot of pretty stuff in the store, especially purses and clutches. Looking around, I went to the clothing racks and picked out a bunch of dresses that caught my attention. Sergei sat on the nearby bench, waiting for me to try everything on. I picked out a tight fitting blue dress that showed some cleavage, not too much, because I am a mother, and I don't want to set a bad example for my daughters. Also, me being voluptuous as it is, I don't need any more men ogling me. Second, I picked out a sparkly white cocktail dress that brought out my hips, and the rest were just for my husband's eyes only.

Trying a dress on, I walked out to show Sergei. "Well, how do I look?" I asked doing a little twirl.

Sergei smiled. "You look absolutely stunning," he replied back. I smiled, and went on to try on the rest of the dresses. I couldn't help but giggle softly as Sergei blushed at me in a dress that showed off some cleavage. He seemed unsure about it, but I assured him it was for his eyes only, and he seemed to be okay with it.

After trying on the clothes, we purchased them, and then we went out to the perfume store. I picked out some relatively cheap fragrances. I'm not one for expensive perfumes. They make my nose itch and run, and they make me sneeze a lot. There were a few brands that caught my eye: Jadore and Halle Barry. I tried the Halle Barry, but I immediately began sneezing. After I was done with my sneezing fit, I looked back and saw my husband talking to someone who had walked into the store and had been looking at me. I heard him say, "Don't make me call her brothers," and the other man quickly backed off. I smiled, knowing that Kodai had a reputation of being a tough fighter, and my brother Kaosu was almost like Vegeta, minus the ape forme and hairdo. I tried the Jadore, and it wasn't as strong. I found the scent to be relatively mild compared to the Halle Barry, and it smelled really nice, too. "Hey, Sergei. What do you think of this perfume?" I asked.

Kraven sprayed some of the perfume on his hand and gave it a sniff. "I like it," he said, smiling. "I'm glad you found a perfume that agreed with you."

I smiled and nodded. "What were you saying to that guy?" I asked.

"Oh, he looked like he was gonna try to go do something funny, like touch your leg," Kraven replied. "He tried to say that he wasn't gonna do that, and I told him 'Don't make me call her brothers.' Looks like that guy doesn't want to deal with them."

"He'd be stupid, crazy, arrogant, or all of the above," I replied. "Even Kodai would be able to beat up most guys who give me serious trouble, and he's the nice one."

"I know," Kraven replied. "Think you've got enough perfume?" He asked.

I looked around the nearby aisles, and got some other brands that I knew wouldn't be too harsh on my nose OR too harsh on my wallet. "I'm good now," I told him. After we bought the perfumes, we went to the movies. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows was on. I wondered if it was as good as the reviewers had said. (Only one way to find out,) I thought as the lights dimmed and the screen lit up…

To be continued…

Edited by Darkest Nightmare's Dread 


	5. Chapter 5

*2 hours later*

I smiled, walking out of the movie theater with my husband. The movie was very interesting, and I had a wonderful time. Leaning my head to rest on his shoulder, I smiled at him. "Thank you for taking me out today. I had a lot of fun."

He smiled and leaned down to plant a kiss on my forehead. "Anything for the most beautiful woman in the world. You deserve the finest things in life, and as you're husband it's my job to give you the world."

I blushed and playfully squeezed his arm. ''I already have the world, and I'm holding his arm right now," I replied back.

Sergei was touched we laughed and talked for a bit when suddenly, a bag of freshly baked popcorn was thrown on Sergei's new shoes. An obnoxious laugh and a few snorted chuckles was heard. I groaned out loud. I know that laugh anywhere. Only one man on this planet laughed like that, and his name is William Dexter. William was my old ex-boyfriend from high school. The reason we broke up was because William chose to play video games and read those stupid comic books instead of staying home and spending time with me. He also didn't take no for an answer. I remember when I was a couple of years younger. He invited me to his college dorm to play one of the games he had rented.

Thinking nothing of it, I accepted and went by myself to his apartment, which, by the way, was extremely disgusting. I don't know what possessed me to even step foot in the front door. I was so blinded by love at the time that I allowed his pigsty behavior.

Everything went normally that day, or as it seemed, when he told me to follow him up to his bedroom. He said he had a surprise for me. Something stupid to celebrate our 1 month of dating each other. Now, that should have been a red flag, but he was my boyfriend. so I obliged heading upstairs with him. He locked the door behind us, and before I could question him, he pushed me against the wall and kissed me aggressively. "Will, what are you doing? Stop it!"

He placed his finger on my mouth to shush me. "Shhh. It's okay. Everything will be alright. Just enjoy it," He said. He tried to unbutton my blouse, but I pushed him away. He still had a grip on my shirt, and ended up ripping it. My eyes widened, hurt. "Gemma, I… I… I'm sorry. I thought you wanted this," he replied, looking appalled that I didn't return his advances.

I looked at him, disgusted and hurt. "No, William. I never wanted this. Why would you lie to me? You said you wanted to give me something special, when you only dragged me over here to take advantage of me. How could you do this? I thought you loved me," I replied back.

With tears in my eyes. William tsked his lips and shook his head no. "You owe me this, Gemma. You know that, right? All those fancy dinners, that expensive dress, and other gift items I gave you. Other women would love to be in your shoes. In fact, there's a couple of women I know who would gladly take your place," he spat.

I blinked dumbfounded by what I just heard. Clenching my fist I was ready to smack his head right off literally. "That's it! I've had enough! I'm through with you, William! We're through!" I snapped angrily.

William gave me a raised eyebrow. "Hey, we aren't over until I say it's…" But before he could say anything else, I gripped him by the throat. Picking him up off the ground, I glared at him. ''If you ever put your hands on me again, you'll be meeting your maker. You aren't a good person…" I added. William choked and sputtered struggling to breathe against my superhuman strength. "Do I make myself clear?" I asked firmly.

William croaked. "Yes ma'am," he replied back.

I smiled. "Good boy. Now, I'll be leaving, and my father will definitely be hearing about this have a good day William. " I said venomously, dropping him on the ground.

William gasped for air before vomiting on the ground. "You… you'll pay for this!" He said, gasping again.

I chuckled coldly. ''Well see about that William." I replied back, and left out.

*end of flash back *

Ever since that day, I've had a restraining order against him. Unfortunately, he must be blind, stupid, ignorant, or a combination of the three, because he's standing right in front of us. "Oops. Wasn't watching where I was going," William lied, giving us a fake smile a toddler would've seen through.

I internally groaned. "Hey man watch where you are going!" Sergei spat at him.

William ignored him and looked over at me. "Oh, hello, Gemma. You're looking beautiful as always, and wonderfully thick," William complemented creepily as he ogled me.

Sergei got angry. Stepping in front of me protectively, he pushed William away. "Look, shorty. I usually don't beat people up half my size, but you seriously need to back off." Sergei warned.

William laughed. "Oh, come on, Gemma. You seriously married this Russian guy? He's probably not even half as loaded as I am. I mean, look at him. He doesn't look that rough. I want to patch things up between us, and no restraining order can separate us," William added

I swear I could just feel the heat of anger. Radiating off of my husband. Before I could process anything else, Sergei had punched William hard in the nose. Everyone stopped what they were doing and came over to see what was happening. The nosey bastards. "What's going on over here?" A police officer asked.

"Nothing major, sir. This man here broke his restraining order contract and is stalking me," I confessed.

The police officer looked down and sighed. Seeing my ex-boyfriend and stalker on the ground, he tsked his lips. "William, I don't understand why you keep harassing these women.… Just be happy that he punched you and nothing worse than that, because if I was him, your family wouldn't be able to find your body, my boy." William said nothing but screamed, holding his bleeding nose. Suddenly, I had a feeling that I had someone behind me. I looked, but there was no one there. I knew who it was, though. I sighed in exasperation. I knew I shouldn't have shown Elder Scrolls Online to my father.

Women giggled at him. Some of them whispered, gossiping and pointing to him to their friends and boyfriends. The men shook their heads in disapproval. While the cop hauled William away, he gave us a look of pure hatred. I have almost never seen such hatred in the eyes of any human before, and I've been alive for centuries. It was filled with malice. To be honest, it was almost amusing to me. I fired a REAL mean look right back at him, and he withered like a plant. Soft little punk. Sergei pulled me close to him, and rubbed my back lovingly. "I'm sorry you had to see that, love. Come on. Let's go," he said softly.

"That's okay," I replied. "Did you see that look he tried to give me? Trust me. My father can give that face better without even trying."

"I know," Kraven replied, remembering a particularly unhappy look he shot a disrespectful punk when he accidentally called my father weak.

"Trust me," I assured him. "You haven't seen my father when he's truly angry. Nothing, except angels, can stand it. Good thing it takes him a lot to get angry." Kraven nodded, glad that my father wouldn't be likely to snap at him. He needn't worry, though. He's a great husband.

*Meanwhile at the beach, 3rd person p.o.v.*

Carl watched Link run around playfully in the ocean, giggling and chasing other children. Queen Soldaris groaned, sitting down while holding her stomach. "Are you alright, dear? He asked, concerned.

Soldaris just waved it off and smiled. "I'm fine. I'm just a little sore from the baby kicking too hard," she replied.

Carl nodded. He was nervous about Soldaris' health, but he knew she would be fine. She was a strong woman without any health issues, so he knew the baby would be nice and healthy. Just a short way away, Link was making a sand castle, but it fell as soon as the water came in. Carl went over and showed Link a spot where she could make a sand castle without having to worry about the water knocking it down.

*Meanwhile, at Midtown High*

Peter, who was now a full-time science teacher and currently 25 years old, sighed as he slowly graded the student's quiz papers. Now, don't get me wrong. He loved doing his job and all, but it was frustrating. When he tried his best to teach -over 200 children, was it?- Peter couldn't even remember forgetting their faces as soon as they left his class. He had bills to pay, and with Ava on maternity leave with their second child, life was getting stressful.

He bit his lip, looking at the papers he was grading. Some of them were not even completed, and some of them were correct. Some of them had nothing but doodles and hot Cheetos stains on them. Peter looked over at the clock, wishing time would go faster so that he could go home and relax, eat, and sleep.

The sounds of a desk chair scraping the floor caught his attention. Andrew, his delinquent and always tardy student, actually came to school. It was after class, but for some reason, he was here in the flesh. Peter smiled at him. "Good afternoon, Mr. Jones. How are you doing today?" He asked cheerfully.

The teen held his head down, and picked at the dirt and grime from under his nails. ''I'm okay…" He mumbled.

"I'm glad to hear that son I just want to tell you that you scored a..."

Before he could finish, the teenager cut him off. "I know, I know! I got another stupid F! science is hard, okay?!" Andrew snapped.

Peter placed both hands up to calm him down. "Whoa there, champ. It's no bad news before you rudely interrupted me. I wanted to let you know that you scored an A+," Peter finished.

Andrew's eyes widened from shock. ''Whoa, really? You ain't lying, are you?" Andrew asked, suspicious of him.

"No, not at all. All that hard work and coming to after-school study halls finally paid off," Peter replied back.

He could have sworn he saw Andrew give him a little smile. The bell rang, and it was time to go home. A few students and teachers conversed with one another before parting their separate ways. Andrew quickly collected his next assignment and tried to leave out but peter stopped him. "Mr. Jones, before you leave, do you need help understanding the work?" Peter asked.

"Nope," Andrew replied back. His stomach suddenly growled, leaving the already awkwardly silent room even more uncomfortable. Peter had been noticing that Andrew was losing a lot of weight. He knew it was none of his business, but it wasn't rocket science to tell that the boy wasn't getting enough to eat at home.

Scratching his head, Peter finally looked at the youth. "Mr. Jones, if you aren't busy, do you want to grab a bite to eat at Joe's Diner?" He asked, taking a sip of his coffee.

The youth raised an eyebrow. "Um… sure, but no Homo, though."

Peter nearly spit his coffee out from shock and laughter. "Whatever you say, boy. Now, come on. Let's go before it gets too crowded," He said cheerfully again as he packed the rest of his grading work and belongings up. Andrew nodded and waited for him by the doorway. (I hope I don't get in trouble for this.…) Peter thought to himself.

To be continued…

Edited by Darkest Nightmare's Dread 


	6. Chapter 6

*Several minutes later *

We arrived at a small Chili's that was thankfully not busy today. The waitress took us to an open booth. Happily handing us our menus, the waitress, who looked to be in her early 20s, asked us what would we like to drink. Andrew shyly ordered a Coca Cola, and I ordered a raspberry tea. I smiled at him. "Son, there's no need to act shy. Go ahead and get anything you like as long. As it doesn't break my bank, it's fine," I assured him.

"Oh, okay. Thanks," he muttered. A couple of minutes later, the waitress returned to take our orders. I ordered a chicken salad, and Andrew ordered a BBQ bacon burger. After she took our orders, the waitress scurried off to deliver them to the cooks.

There was a awkward silence between Andrew and I and to break the ice and try to atleast make the atmosphere around us bearable I decided to make small chat and try to get to know my student some more. "So Andrew, how's your mother? Will she be able to make it to the parent-teacher conference coming up?" I asked.

Andrew grew quiet and fidgeted in his seat uncomfortably. ''No…" he muttered

"Why?" I asked I don't know what possessed me to say that out loud. I really meant to say this in my head, but unfortunately, it was way too late for that.

"She… she… she's never home…" he confessed. There was a pregnant pause between us.

"Maybe she's just busy at work," I assured him.

He shook his head no, and I felt a knot begin to form in my throat from the awkward situation.

Quickly grabbing and drinking some raspberry tea, I felt the lump disappear, but Andrew still sat before me uncomfortably. "No, you don't know. She hasn't been home in three days," he said.

Like a wave hitting a sandcastle, concern and pity hit me instantly. "Please forgive me for asking so many questions, Andrew, but does your father know? Perhaps he can call the police and file a missing person's report," I asked. Andrew slowly shook his head no. "Well, why not?" I asked again before mentally kicking myself. (I just can't keep my damn mouth shut, can I?) I thought to myself.

Andrew fiddled his fingers. ''Because Dad's dead…." He finally spoke up. I was unable to speak, no matter how hard I tried to force myself to talk. It was like the words were stuck somewhere in my throat, only able to speak out in my mind.

Just before I finally mustered up the courage to speak out, two hot plates of delicious food were placed before us, saving me from digging myself into an even deeper bit of awkward trouble. "Here you go, boys. Enjoy your meal," The kind waitress said before scurrying off to attend to other clients.

After that we said nothing else to each other, but ate in silence. I couldn't help but watch Andrew take off his pickles and tomatoes in disgust. I almost chuckled. What was that boy doing? He's taking off two of the best ingredients on the burger, but it doesn't matter. To each his own, I guess. Several minutes later, we finished our meal and I called the waitress over to pay the bill.

After that, it was time to drop Andrew home. Stepping outside, I didn't even know it was raining at first because as soon as we stepped out, a gush of heavy rainfall came down on us.

(Man, I just got my haircut and it decides to rain. Really, Mother Nature?) I thought to myself. Looking over at Andrew, I saw that he just calmly put his hood on and walked to where we parked. He had a nervous look on his face and I wondered why. I hope my nosy questions didn't offend or irritate the poor boy. The rain fell harder, and I internally groaned. (This was going to be hell to drive in,) I thought to myself. (Well, at least I'm not riding my bike in this weather.)

Andrew had already reached the car and waited patiently for me to open the door. I dug in my pockets quickly, trying to get the car keys out, and I nearly almost dropped those suckers in a puddle that was starting to form. Just thinking about that made me make sure I held on tightly to them. Ava would have a fit if I dropped my keys in water again, or anything liquid. Last time, I accidentally dropped my keys into some coffee, and then the toilet, and now almost a puddle.

She would scold me so hard I wouldn't hear the end of it. Unlocking the car door for myself and Andrew, I asked him where he lived so I could drop him off at home. At first, he was hesitant. I had to promise on my mother's grave that I wouldn't tell anyone about where he lived, and he finally gave in to me. He lived four miles away, which wasn't pretty bad. It was lucky for me because I didn't have to use so much gas. I swear, if gas prices rose even higher, I'm cutting a hole in the car floor and Flintstoning it.

The drive to Andrew's place was quiet, but not awkward, thankfully. I wanted to continue talking to the poor boy, but honestly, to tell you the truth, I did not have anything to say. At the moment, even though I'm a father, I still sucked with dealing with children, especially teenagers. They were so distant and cold at times. Still, I was once of them myself, so I understood their struggles. Each and every last one of them. I remember once having a mental breakdown at dinner with Aunt May. It left her absolutely speechless and worried, but nevertheless, she did everything in her power to help me fix it or go through it. She helped me figure out mentally and physically what was wrong with me. For that, I'm very grateful. (I just hope that Andrew here has someone to confide in at home,) I thought to myself.

*30 minutes later *

Pulling up to a filthy, oil-stained driveway, it took every ounce of self-control not to frown. Standing before me was a filthy-looking house that was in desperate need of some repairs and a gardener. Just like the tall grass in the African plains, the dandelions stood proudly and up high, covering up the door and the other entrance ways to the house. You literally had to get out of your car to get a better look at the house and to see that someone actually lived here. No one would even know because the house looks abandoned. Whoever takes care of Andrew while his mother is away, they really need to start saving some money up to repair the house.

Now, I'm not one to judge, but no child should live in a house like this. I wonder, should I tell someone about Andrew's situation? If I did, the boy might hate me and even start skipping class and school altogether. I told myself it was just best to keep my mouth shut and stay out of their business. For now. Unlocking the car door, I felt my fatherly concern rise for Andrew. "Hey son, are you sure this is the right place? You can stay with me until…."

Before I could finish, Andrew quickly cut me off. "No, thanks. I'm fine." He replied back, but stiffened and bit his lips when he noticed he came off a bit harsh and rude with his reply. "Thank you for everything, Mr. Parker. I really appreciate. I'll pay you back later for the good when I get my first job. I promise," he said.

I wouldn't hear any of it. ''You will absolutely not pay me back, young man. The food was on me, remember, and you're my student and I care for you. Now, if you need anything, don't be hesitant to call me," I replied sternly, hoping he'd understand.

Writing down my number, I handed it to the boy. We both waved goodbye. Before driving off, I saw him wave goodbye back, and he and his house faded away into nothingness.

Several minutes later, I ended up on the highway. A few cars were zipping by while I was crawling along, and I wondered where the cops were. They never seemed to be around when they should have been. I was unaware of the driver behind me. The person had the audacity to look at me like it was my fault traffic was moving by so slow. I wish he wasn't so close on me because if he tailgates me, there'll be hell to pay. After several agonizing minutes stuck in light traffic, I finally was free of that guy because he turned left and drove to where ever he needed to go. (Idiot. What was his problem?) I thought to myself. I shrugged the offense off. I could care less for the rudeness of strangers, and I had a wife and child to return to.

*30 minutes later *

It was now getting dark once I reached my two-story house. The neighbors were off inside their homes, and my next-door neighbor, Robert, was out working on his car in his garage.

He smiled and waved at me. I smiled and waved back. Not a lot of people were very friendly these days, and many of them could care less to even greet you. Nevertheless, say a hello with a wave or even a nod.

Times have certainly changed for the worse, but it couldn't be helped. Taking out my keys, I unlocked the door, and to my surprise, all of my friends and family popped out. "SURPRISE!" They yelled happily, rushing over to me. Balloons and confetti rained down on my head. It's not like I wasn't happy to see them or anything. I was just genuinely puzzled on what the occasion was that everybody was celebrating. "Here's the birthday boy! You're finally home. We were worried about you!" Aunt May said, smiling as she came up holding my favorite cake. A huge 26 candle with my picture decorated the top.

My heart felt like it would drop and my cheeks turned redder then a tomato. Of course. How could I forget my own birthday? (Oh, well. At least I didn't forget my own anniversary. Now, THAT would be ten times worse,) I thought to myself, completely zoning out in the process.

"Hey, Peter. Is everything alright?" Harry asked, walking up. Everyone else agreed, whispering amongst each other and looking at me in concern. Snapping put of my daze quickly, I apologized to my company and told them everything was fine. Ava was out in the kitchen, taking the last of the food out, and everyone smiled, relieved to hear that everything was fine. My friend Harry gave me the look. He obviously was on to me. While everyone chatted around and went about around me. Harry pulled me to the side. "Hey, we need to talk," He said gently.

I don't know why, but for some reason, that made my blood turn cold. "Sure," I almost stuttered.

To be continued.…..

Edited by Darkest Nightmare's Dread


End file.
